Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2020 i The Railway Magazine

INSIDE the Network Rail headquarters is a sign which says Putting Passengers First. This acts as a reminder that NR wants to embed a customer service mindset in its staff, and ensure a better focus on performance, therefore putting the passenger’s experience at the very heart of what it does. While welcome and laudable, because of failings within train operating companies is ‘putting the passenger first’ actually working? The start of the new timetable has been marred by cancellations or services being terminated short of destination because of staff shortages, sickness and on-going training on new stock. For too long passengers have been promised new and better trains, but delays introducing new trains, allied with crew training delays and poor implementation planning, the industry has been dragging its feet for…

The Morgan Award for Outstanding Achievement: ■ North Staffordshire Rolling Stock Restoration Trust (The Knotty Trust), for the restoration of NSR Brake Third No. 3 and the creation of a three-coach heritage train ■ Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway Society, restoration of Great Eastern Railway Brake Third No. 853 ■ Great Central Railway’s Quorn Wagon & Wagon, Test Car No. 2 ■ Scottish Railway Preservation Society, Glasgow & South Western Railway Passenger Brakevan No. 122 ■ Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust, LMSR ‘Stove R’ van No. 2886. The John Coiley Locomotive Engineering Award: ■ Avon Valley Railway, for the Fry’s Sentinel restoration ■ Mid-Hants Railway/Urie Locomotive Society Ltd, extensive 18-year overhaul of S15 No. 506 ■ Quainton Railway Society/Buckinghamshire Railway Centre, restoration of No. 6989 Wightwick Hall ■ North…

NEW trains, more services and a better customer experience are the priorities for Avanti West Coast (AWC), which replaced Virgin Trains on December 8. First-Trenitalia’s West Coast Partnership joint venture will operate the country’s busiest inter-city railway until March 31, 2031, during which time it will also become the shadow operator for the first phase of High Speed 2 (HS2) services between Euston and Birmingham. West Coast Partnership Development will design, develop and mobilise operations for the new railway working with HS2 Ltd and the Department for Transport, while Avanti will handle the day-today operation of the WCML. Avanti, which means ‘Let’s Go’ or ‘Forward’ in Italian, has been chosen to symbolise progress and movement, while the new triangular logo represents the three geographic points of a network serving England,…

INDUSTRY sources estimated that of the 2,840 services due to be worked by Northern on December 16 about 9% were either fully cancelled or were ‘terminate short’ and ‘start short’ partial cancellations. For TPE, with 350 trains in its full timetable, the ‘more than 40’ full cancellations were on top of the 20 pre-planned cancellations on the Liverpool-Newcastle-Edinburgh route to allow for enhanced training to take place over the Christmas and New Year period. This meant around 14% of trains were cancelled and a further 3.5% terminated/started short.…

WEST Midlands Trains introduced a number of timetable and service changes from December 15 after conceding its May 2019 timetable had not worked well, particularly on London Northwestern services. A previous radical timetable change involved the joining up of many through trains that previously terminated at Birmingham New Street. Agreeing that the ‘day-today operation has proved quite fragile’ the company has told staff it intends to ‘roll back’ to its original service pattern as much as possible from May 2020, with a small number of changes implemented more quickly from December 2019 to improve service reliability. The TOC told staff its eventual train plan will be less complex, with more train and crew diagrams self-contained to avoid delays spreading across the network. Services operating under the WMR brand have been…

A NEW CLASS 755/4 Stadler bi-mode unit came within a quarter of a second of colliding with a car on a half-barrier level crossing near Norwich on November 24. The unit was working the 19.45 Norwich-Sheringham service and approaching Norwich Road crossing in north east Norwich, when the barriers, which had been lowered for the train, suddenly lifted as the unit, travelling at 45mph, was 200 metres from the crossing and cars began to cross. The driver applied the emergency brake and sounded the horn, but the train was unable to stop before reaching the crossing and came within a split second of hitting a car that had crossed. The level crossing equipment was installed in 2000 and includes a predictor system to detect the speed of approaching trains so…

Scottish industrial driver action ends A WORK to rule running since August and involving ScotRail driver team managers (DTMs) has been resolved. The TSSA union said the deal means DTMs can drive trains as a last resort until April, but can volunteer to cover staff shortages on rest days for a payment of £375. Rail staff sleep out for charity MORE than 40 rail industry staff slept outdoors at Blackpool North on December 5 to raise money for a homeless charity. The ‘sleepout’ was organised by Network Rail signaller Chris Conway to support Amazing Graze, a soup kitchen serving more than 15,000 meals a year to vulnerable people in Blackpool.…

THE new cylinders for ex-GWR ‘2884’ 2-8-0 No. 3850 were delivered to the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway on December 6 following machining by Roach Precision of Brierley Hill. The delivery followed the arrival of the new front-end extension frames in mid-September, which had also been completed by the Brierley Hill firm. Having the cylinders on site will now enable No. 3850’s owning group Dinmore Manor Locomotive Ltd to assemble the 2-8-0’s front-end. This will be carried out upside down, in the manner employed by the GWR at Swindon. The extension frames have already been united with the cylinders, and once the assembly is finished the front-end can be fitted and accurately optically aligned within the frames. The overhauled wheelsets are sitting ready and waiting, while the boiler is also at a…

MML ride quality checks HARBOROUGH MP Neil O’Brien asked what processes Network Rail has put in place to measure the ride quality on the Midland Main Line. Transport Minister Chris Heaton-Harris said: “Track and ride quality on MML is monitored regularly through both visual and on board inspections. “Based on the information collected, engineering teams record any areas of deterioration and take action to maintain the required track and ride quality.” Counting ECML costs MIDDLESBROUGH MP Andy McDonald asked, with reference to the report of the Consortium of East Coast Mainline Authorities published on October 25, what assessment the Department for Transport (DfT) has made of the accuracy of the finding that in 2018, 12 major ECML incidents cost the economy £46.28million. Mr Harris said: “The DfT has received the…

PEOPLE join clubs for different reasons: for railway enthusiasts in the days of steam many did so simply to be able to join organised ‘shed bashes’ across the country. For those interested in history, there were clubs that had library facilities, where research could be carried out, while others provided a programme of meetings featuring speakers, who could be heard talking on a vast range of railway topics. The RCTS provided all three and thus catered for the full range of enthusiast interests, and still does today, except that with the emphasis on health and safety, shed bashes have morphed into a visit to a single installation, often with a tour lasting a couple of hours. The society has also invested heavily in its library facilities, recently re-housed in the…

THE Spa Valley Railway is to be the new long-term home of Southern Locomotives Ltd’s (SLL) ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0ST Norman from this summer. The Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns-built loco (7086/1943) is currently under overhaul by Bryn Engineering in Bolton following the expiry of its boiler certificate in January 2018. It had previously been based on the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Railway, where it entered service in February 2011. However, it was the wish of one of the overhaul’s major sponsors that the locomotive be based in the South East when it returns to service, and consequently its new home will be at Tunbridge Wells. Not only will the loco have a new home, but it will also have a new look when it finally reached the Spa Valley line. Having most…

Boscastle boiler back at GCR after overhaul THE boiler of rebuilt Bulleid ‘West Country’Pacific No. 34039 Boscastle has arrived back at the Great Central Railway following overhaul at the South Devon Railway. A new tender tank has also arrived at Loughborough where overhaul of the locomotive is ongoing. Royal Scot returning to Nene Valley CREWE-BASED Fowler/Stanier 4-6-0 No. 46100 Royal Scot will be making a repeat visit to the Nene Valley Railway later this spring. The locomotive will be there to take part in a commemorative event marking 75 years since VE Day on May 7-10. Boiler ticket extension for Great Central ‘Jinty’ ROGER Hibbert’s LMS‘3F’ 0-6-0T No. 47406 has been given a six-month extension to its boiler certificate. The ‘Jinty’ had been withdrawn at the…

ROBERT Stephenson & Hawthorns 0-6-0T Zebedee (7597/1949) reached another milestone in its overhaul at the Lincolnshire Wolds Railway (LWR) in late-autumn when the locomotive’s two new side tanks were fitted to the frames. The tanks have been manufactured in-house by the engineering team at Ludborough, and spray painted to match the cab and bunker, which were fitted three years ago. The project to return the former Rye House power station loco to steam has been on-going since it arrived in Lincolnshire from Peak Rail in 2014. After an initial strip down to its basic component parts, including boiler lift and removal of the wheelsets, the loco’s bottom end has been largely reassembled, including a full axlebox overhaul. After re-wheeling a start was made on the machining of new bearings for…

THE Appleby Frodingham Railway Preservation Society (AFRPS) has announced the dates for its winter and spring tours around Scunthorpe steelworks. While a question marks still hangs over the future of the steelworks, the AFRPS is carrying on as usual – in its 30th anniversary year – with plans afoot for a gala later in the year. The dates for the early-year brakevan tours are: ■ January 25 ■ February 22 ■ March 21 ■ April 18 Site tours depart at 11.00 and last for around four hours, including a visit to the loco shed. Motive power for the year will be provided by resident Avonside 0-6-0ST Cranford (1919/1924). All brakevan tours must be pre-booked by contacting Brigg Tourist Information on 01652 657053, or by e-mailing brigg.tic@northlincs.gov.uk…

Cylinders for new ‘W’ Mogul on order CYLINDERS for the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland’s new-build LMS-NCC ‘W’ Class 2-6-0 No. 105 have been ordered and are due to be cast later this month. The order for the two 19in x 26in cylinders was placed with the Glasgow firm of Specialist Castings, and will be cast from a pattern completed in November. Mogeely cabin for Maam Cross THE Connemara Railway Project will erect a relocated signal cabin at its Maam Cross base during February. The cabin was previously situated at Mogeely, on the Youghal branch in County Cork, and will occupy the site of the original, long-demolished Maam Cross cabin. An 18-lever McKenzie & Holland lever frame is being refurbished for eventual use in the cabin. Like us facebook.com/TheRailwayMagazine Britain’s…

■ HAMPSHIRE Narrow Gauge Railway Trust locomotives transferred to the Statfold Narrow Gauge Museum Trust collection (RM Nov) have been delivered to Statfold Barn. Bagnall 0-4-0ST Wendy, Motor Rail petrol locos Brambridge Hall and Agwi Pet, a former Ramsgate Railway coach, and an ex-Dinorwic slate wagon were delivered on November 12, followed by Hunslet 0-4-0ST Cloister on November 20. ■ STEEPLE Grange Light Railway volunteers are adding a level floor to the three-road carriage and wagon shed at Dark Lane Quarry, with the aim of opening the shed to the public on selected dates. A platform is being constructed with sleeper edges and limestone fill in the angle between the main line and sidings in Dark Lane Quarry to enable visitors to alight from passing trains. ■ VANDALS smashed glass…

THE body of the Talyllyn Railway’s ex-Corris bogie carriage No. 17 was dispatched to Stanegate Restorations of Haltwhistle on November 19. When withdrawn the plan was to restore the carriage in a leased industrial unit in Pendre Enterprise Park, but the railway has been unable to employ anyone locally to undertake the work. Restoration by an outside contractor represents the only chance of returning the carriage to service for the 2020 peak season. Following removal of the roof covering Stanegate Restorations report there are areas of rot at the bottom of all the windows on the north side needing treatment before replacement oak is scarfed into place.…

DECEMBER will see the introduction of electric services between St Pancras International and Corby, prompting significant changes to East Midlands Railway (EMR) timetables. This will lead to the segregation of services between EMR Intercity and the operator’s new brand ‘EMR Electrics’, the latter serving Luton, Bedford, Wellingborough, Kettering and Corby. Many Intercity services covering the East Midlands and South Yorkshire are omitting stops south of Leicester, meaning journey times will be up to 30 minutes faster for some long-distance trains, while Class 360/1 EMUs cascaded from Greater Anglia (GA) to the Corby route will provide up to 13,000 extra seats to and from London on weekdays. Other improvements will include more early-morning and late-evening trains, a simpler and more consistent timetable with a more even spread of departure times, and…

GREATER Anglia has released an artist’s impression of how Saxmundham’s new station building will look when it is completed later this year. The Suffolk station will be remodelled as a single-storey structure following the fire that destroyed its predecessor. There will be a new waiting room, self-service ticket machines and offices, which will eventually be available for commercial or community use. CCTV, free wi-fi, charging points for mobile devices, seating and air-conditioning will also be provided.…

Merseyrail-only pass offering cheaper travel MERSEYRAIL has launched a ‘Rail Only’travel pass covering its Northern and Wirral lines, and offering cheaper travel for thousands of commuters in the region. The new pass offers unlimited travel with weekly, monthly and annual options, but does not include the City Line, saving 5% over all-lines pass. Fresh look for Welwyn footbridge WORK to improve the lengthy footbridge at Welwyn Garden City, which links the railway station and the east of the town, began on December 22. The structure will be refurbished with a lift and new stairs installed. Its steelwork will be cleaned, repainted, resurfaced and receive new lighting. The £1million project is due to be completed by late-spring. Publisher proposes Cranleigh revival MIDDLETON Press publisher and author Vic Mitchell is backing a…

MULTI-PURPOSE wagons capable of being adapted to carry different payloads could help freight operators to reduce start-up costs and encourage new freight flows, according to a new industry lobby group. The Private Wagons Federation (PWF), representing wagon builders and lessors in the UK, is concerned that small production runs of bespoke wagons for specific uses can cost up to double the current industry average of £100,000 per vehicle. Other factors include a shortage of domestic wagon builders and the more restrictive British loading gauge, which prevents the use of standard European wagon types. One possible answer to this is to focus purely on box wagons for aggregates traffic and intermodal flats capable of carrying a wide range of demountable ‘modules’ for other purposes. Examples of such wagons are already in…

2019 will certainly go down as a year of change, and for many people it has signified the end of an era. Gone are the LNER HSTs, the GWRs long-distance HSTs, ScotRail’s Class 314s, and big inroads are being made into the ‘Pacer’ and Class 315 fleets, in the move to disability compliant trains. While progress introducing new trains is not being made as fast as some might like because of technical problems and driver training issues, we’ve seen the ‘Azumas’, ‘Paragons’, TPE’s ‘Nova 1/2/3’ trains, Vivarail Class 230, CAF Class 195 and 331, the Mk5 sleeper carriages, Stadler Class 755 and Bombardier Class 710s all enter traffic, bringing some improvement to the problem of overcrowding. But for 2020, the focus of the industry has to be on getting more…

DONCASTER’S iPort Rail Strategic Rail Freight Interchange (SRFI) has gained a fifth daily intermodal service, slightly more than a year after opening. The new train is the facility’s second daily service to and from Felixstowe container port in Suffolk, and is operated by GB Railfreight. It operates five days a week, arriving at 23.25 and departing at 02.57 on weekdays. iPort also has two daily trains to Teesport in Middlesbrough and one to Southampton, all operated by GBRf.…

FAILURE to reach an agreement in talks between the RMT and South Western Railway saw the planned 27 days of strikes on SWR continue throughout December. However, the action was paused on General Election day (December 12). The RMT has said it will be re-balloting drivers and guards in respect of the safety critical role of the guard and to retain a guard on SWR services. The union has proposed a solution that would add a few seconds to station dispatch times. It is being considered by SWR. SWR managing director Andy Mellors will take up the position of managing director, non-franchised businesses, from January 6, and also oversee First Group’s Hull Trains operations, Tram Operations Ltd (Croydon trams) and First’s East Coast open access operation, due to begin in…

DORSET’S Swanage Railway will be able to call upon three Bulleid Light Pacifics for its peak season this year after No. 34028 Eddystone returns to service in the spring. Overhaul of the Southern Locomotives Ltd (SLL)-owned ‘rebuilt’4-6-2 is now in its final stages at Herston Works, having been reunited with its overhauled boiler on November 19. This was jointly undertaken at Norden by Swanage Railway and SLL staff who, before craning the boiler onto the frames, fitted the ashpan. The re-boilered locomotive was subsequently moved back to Herston for final completion. SLL has said it is confident Eddystone will be ready for trials by late spring, setting it up for a full return to Swanage Railway service during the summer months. It will join SLL’s two other operational Bulleids –…

TWO new stations opened for the start of the winter 2019/20 timetable, with a new platform at a third. Robroyston, between Stepps and Springburn on the former Caledonian Railway line to Cumbernauld, has been built close to the site of its predecessor, which closed on June 11, 1956. It serves a new development of 1,600 homes in Robroyston and Millerston, and has a half-hourly Glasgow to Edinburgh via Cumbernauld service on weekdays, operated by Class 385 EMUs. 60th station It is the 60th station in the Glasgow area and cost £14million to construct. On December 16, Warrington West station was formally opened a day after services began calling there. The £20.5m station has been funded by Warrington Borough Council, the DfT, developer contributions and Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership. It…

THE Ecclesbourne Valley Railway has taken full ownership of the nine-mile branch line from Duffield to Wirksworth, making it the only heritage line in Derbyshire that owns its infrastructure outright. Owning company WyvernRail plc completed the purchase of the railway from Network Rail on December 9, following several years of negotiations. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the start of restoration of the line, with the company implementing a programme to develop the line into a premier tourist attraction. Chairman John Snell has been singled out for praise after steering the purchase process from start to finish, and his quiet chairmanship of WyvernRail since 1992 has kept the whole project on the move through some turbulent times.…

SUPPORTING the line is the Tyne Valley Community Rail Partnership, whose core aim is ‘to promote, strengthen and protect the role of the Tyne Valley railway line between Newcastle-Hexham-Carlisle for residents, tourists, employees and service providers’. The Community Rail Partnership works closely alongside rail operator Northern, Cumbria County Council, Northumberland County Council, Tyne & Wear PTE (Nexus) and several other stakeholders to improve and upgrade both services and facilities for users of the route. Its website – www.tvcrp.org.uk – contains more information about the line. Currently, the Community Rail Partnership is looking for volunteers for a Welcome Explore initiative that will launch in Haltwhistle in spring 2020. There’s more information at: www.facebook. com/pg/TVCRP/posts…

Sir John Aspinall (1851-1937) Trained at Crewe, L&Y CME 1886-99, and later general manager. Oversaw the development of Horwich Works to replace Bury and Miles Platting, and standardised the locomotive fleet with 0-6-0s, 0-8-0s, 2-4-2Ts and 0-6-0STs. Pioneered the Manchester-Bury electrification, and advocated electrifying the West Coast Main Line. George Hughes (1865-1945) Chief Mechanical Engineer of the L&Y and LMS from 1904-25. Joined the LNWR as a premium apprentice at Crewe under Francis William Webb. Best remembered for the ‘Crab’ 2-6-0. Sir Nigel Gresley (1876-1941) Premium apprentice under Webb at Crewe from 1893, then at Horwich from 1898. CME of the GNR and LNER from 1911-41. Accomplished in coach design as well as express passenger locomotives such as Flying Scotsman, Mallard and Green Arrow. Richard Maunsell (1868-1944) Apprentice at Horwich…

FRIDAY, JANUARY 3 Railway Correspondence and Travel Society (RCTS) (Furness Lakes and Lune branch) . Station Hotel, Carnforth. 19.30. ‘A History of BR Diesels Types 1 to 5’: Steve Fort. RCTS . St Peter’s Church Hall, Church Rd, Filton, Bristol BS34 7BX. 19.30. ‘Swindon Works – the Diesel Years’: Revd Canon Brian Arman. Slough & Windsor Railway Society . The Manor, Brunel Way, Slough station. 19.45. ‘Big Screen’: Members’ presentation. SATURDAY, JANUARY 4 Lutterworth Railway Society . United Reformed Church, George St, Lutterworth LE17 4EF. New Year Travelcard – depart Rugby 08.12. MONDAY, JANUARY 6 Peak Rail Association (Sheffield branch) . The Harlequin, 108 Nursery St, Sheffield S3 8GG. 19.30. ‘Interrailing Adventures in Europe’: Stewart Donohoe. Plymouth Railway Circle . St Edward’s Church Hall, Home Park Ave, Peverell, Plymouth PL3…

THIS excellent and unusual book deals with those LMS locomotives that carried names with military connections. These names include famous personnel, army regiments, naval vessels, aircraft, battles and historic events. The main focus is inevitably on the ‘Black Fives’, ‘Jubilee’, ‘Patriot’ and ‘Royal Scot’ classes of engines. The book is right up to date – even including the National Memorial engine the new-build ‘Patriot’ No. 45551 The Unknown Warrior, which is currently under construction. The book is an absolute mine of fascinating information concerning both the locomotives and the military history and background to the famous names they carried. There is a wide range of contemporary historical illustrations, including paintings, badges and ephemera. Each named locomotive is covered individually, with text and photographs showing it at work on the railway…

Panorama is brought to you in association with Porterbrook – at the heart of UK Rail for 25 years…

THE Churchward County Trust’s (CCT) appeal to raise £40,000 to have the four coupled wheels cast for its new GWR ‘County’ 4-4-0 No. 3840 County of Montgomery has passed the quarter-way mark. The ‘Forty 4-4-0s Club’ was launched in March of last year as a long-term appeal in which supporters can ‘adopt’ one of the original 40 ‘County’ 4-4-0s for a £1,000 donation. Eleven of the locomotives have been adopted: Middlesex, Somerset, Hants, Limerick, Dorset, Warwick, Bedford, Salop, Flint, Berks and Worcester. This takes the appeal total to £11,000 so far, and leaves 29 locos still available. The four 6ft 8½in wheels will be produced using the pattern created to cast the wheels for the Great Western Society’s ‘Saint’ 4-6-0 No. 2999 Lady of Legend; these are identical to those…

NEW-BUILD‘Patriot’4-6-0 No. 5551 The Unknown Warrior is unlikely to steam in time to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Unknown Warrior’s repatriation and burial in Westminster Abbey this November. The LMS-Patriot Project has been using Remembrance Day as the target date for completion of the Fowler‘5XP’, but has now conceded that meeting this deadline is unlikely despite the continued progress being made on the loco at the Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust’s West Shed, Midland Railway Centre. The project team had already admitted a planned main line debut in November was‘off’, but it now appears the 4-6-0 may not even have steamed by then. One of the main issues concerns the centre driving wheelset, which is to have replacement crank pins fitted. The crank pins originally fitted had not been machined…

THE Scottish Industrial Railway Centre at Dunaskin has a new identity. From late-November the Ayrshire Railway Preservation Group adopted the name ‘Doon Valley Railway’, which it says better reflects the area the railway is in, as well as recognising the fact the Doon Valley is integral to its operations and heritage. The centre lies on part of the National Coal Board’s well-known Waterside system. The extraction of coal and ironstone was started in the Doon Valley by the Dalmellington Iron Company in 1848, with its headquarters located at Dunaskin. Core aim At its peak the company had eight furnaces that worked around the clock to produce pig iron, right up until 1921. The collieries remained active until 1978. In spite of the new name, the ARPG has reaffirmed its core…

WORK has resumed on reconstructing Ffestiniog Railway’s (FR) England 0-4-0ST 1867-built Welsh Pony, which last worked in 1940. Cosmetic restoration for FR’s May 2013 Steam 150 celebrations was followed by confirmation it would be overhauled (RM Aug 2013), with the objective of it returning to steam for its 150th anniversary in 2017. Welsh Pony, already heavily overhauled and completely rebuilt several times, had a life-expired third boiler and a tired second set of main frames. Its condition worsened while plinthed outside Porthmadog Harbour station in the 1980s, followed by periods of outside storage because of limited shed space. Dismantling revealed the main components to be beyond restoration. New frames, cylinders, boiler and a replica tender (the original has been paired with unrestored sister Princess) were constructed, but with funding exhausted…

SUB-ASSEMBLIES constructed by Powys Steel Fabrications for the boiler for Ffestiniog Railway’s (FR) new Double-Fairlie James Spooner have been welded together at Boston Lodge. Riveting of the foundation ring and fitting tubes was in progress in mid-November, with the boiler expected to be hydraulically tested early in the new year. The cradle frame that carries the boiler was fabricated earlier in 2019. Final components, including the reversing gear and brake rigging, have been completed. The frame has been mounted on 1986-built bogies – last in service under now-withdrawn Double-Fairlie Earl of Merioneth – and the assembly is now ready to receive the boiler. Delivery of 3.5 tons of steel profile was expected at Boston Lodge imminently for construction of the superstructure, with numerous components being machined for the new loco.…

■ LEIGHTON Buzzard Railway has received planning permission to erect a new shed for storage of carriages and some locos at Page’s Park. The railway will now progress detailed planning and seek quotations for construction of the building. ■ CLADDING has now been added to the steel frame structure of Ffestiniog Railway’s new large carriage shed at Boston Lodge (RM Sep). Track will be laid inside the building in the new year. ■ THREE enclosed carriages were delivered to the Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway on November 22. They were obtained from Cornwall’s Lappa Valley Steam Railway and have previously run at the Markeaton Park and Fairbourne railways. ■ CORRIS Railway volunteers have completed the restoration of a two-plank wagon and are now repairing the metal body of a wagon prior…

THE 7¼in Strathaven Miniature Railway, South Lanarkshire has completed a season of 70th anniversary celebrations. This culminated in what is believed to be a unique tribute and honour, when local MP Dr Lisa Cameron (SNP) lodged an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons, congratulating the railway on running for 70 years and making a contribution to the local community. A framed copy of the motion was later presented to the railway. The ‘Wee Train’, as it is known locally, was visited by Provost Ian McAllan of South Lanarkshire Council on June 15. The line carried the most passengers in one season since 1994, with 16,000 enjoying the 500-yd circular journey. It will reopen at Easter, running at weekends, 13.00-16.30, until the end of September. New for 2020 will…

Bletchley garden remembers popular volunteer Terry MILTON Keynes Model Railway Society (MKMRS) members and London Northwestern Railway joined forces with Network Rail volunteers on November 25 to dedicate Bletchley station garden to the memory of former MKMRS vice-chairman Terry Silver, who sadly died earlier this year. A plaque was unveiled by Terry’s wife, Susan, and his family. The recently completed garden is maintained by MKMRS members. Seaton Junction footbridge demolished ONE of two former Southern Railway concrete footbridges at Seaton Junction in Devon was demolished by Network Rail in late-November. The bridge dates from the rebuilding of the now-closed station in 1927/28, and was a standard SR design, manufactured at nearby Exmouth Junction. The longer of the station’s bridges remains open as a public footpath. Better CCTV at Anglia stations…

CONSTRUCTION of Stadler’s new depot at Kirkdale, in Liverpool, is now complete, ready for the impending arrival of the first new Class 777 trains. The £21million depot is a rebuild of the Merseyrail facility, one of two that maintains the current Class 507/508 fleet. Kirkdale will become Stadler’s UK head office as well as the base for the 52-strong Class 777 fleet due to enter service in 2021. Stadler has a 35-year contract to build and maintain the sets for Merseyrail. Depot facilities include stabling for 30 four-car trains, washing and servicing plants and a heavy maintenance building.…

FREIGHTLINER started to operate all Mendip Rail aggregates trains radiating from Merehead and Whatley quarries from November 4 – almost a year after it captured the contract from DB Cargo. The company now operates ‘Jumbo’ trains from Somerset to Acton Yard in west London, where they are split to serve locations across the south of England, including Eastleigh, Botley, Newhaven, Ardingly, Crawley, Bow, Stewarts Lane in London, and Chelmsford and Harlow Mill in Essex. A number of other trains also run direct from Whatley, Merehead or Westbury Yard to other destinations, including Exeter Riverside Yard, Eastleigh, Avonmouth and Chichester. Some of these flows have been operated by Freightliner since early August. As part of the deal, Freightliner has bought Mendip Rail’s eight Class 59 heavy haul diesels (Nos. 59001/002/004/005, 59101-104)…

DB CARGO has embarked on a multi-million pound programme of track and rail upgrades at three key freight sites. Over the next 12 months, the UK’s largest rail freight operator will replace more than 20km of track at Immingham in North Lincolnshire, Rotherham in South Yorkshire, and Toton, near Nottingham. Work to replace track in the sorting sidings at Immingham, where wagon maintenance and refuelling is undertaken, started in late-2019, and is also now underway in Rotherham. ‘Reliability’ DB Cargo UK’s head of safety and operations Dave Ethell said: “This investment will further improve the safety and reliability of those services we operate. “These are the first of a number of strategically important sites that we are investing in over the next five years, with others earmarked to follow. “It…

THE overhaul of the Class 45/1 Preservation Society’s No. 45133 at the Midland Railway-Butterley is well advanced. It was withdrawn from traffic on November 7, 2017, with work taking place in the Swanwick diesel shed. It is the first major attention the loco has received since saved for preservation in 1990. Pioneer Diesels Ltd is undertaking much of the work together with a small team of volunteers from the owning group. They have spent hundreds of hours meticulously dismantling, preparing and painting components. The rebuild of No. 2 end cab was nearly complete by November, with corroded metal replaced, while internal equipment has been overhauled and refitted. The other cab and bodywork will receive similar treatment. The loco’s roof was removed in the summer to enable a strip down of…

NETWORK Rail has upped its game in the fight against scrap metal thieves following the price of copper having increased substantially in recent months. Rising prices several years ago led to changes in 2013, preventing cash sales of scrap metal, as well as a local authority licencing scheme, but dealers have found a workaround. Speaking to The RM, James Nattrass, Network Rail’s director of incident management and operational security, explained how the infrastructure owner had adopted a greater focus on its operations, with greater emphasis on security around engineering works and planned possessions, while working with private security contractors and the BTP to ensure plans were aligned. Mr Nattrass added: “While not being complacent, we’ve seen significant signs of success, and for period 9, cable theft is 60% down on…

THE first weekday of the new December 2019 timetable saw major disruption to services operated by Northern and TransPennine Express (TPE), with a large number of trains partly or fully cancelled. Both operators claimed the timetables were working well, despite local news reports blaming the new schedules. This followed the significant problems that came with the May 2018 timetable change. Northern stated its 19 cancellations and 31 delayed services before 10.00 on December 16 were because of “operational issues”. The company cited driver sickness, signalling failure and train faults as the principal causes. The cancellation of 29 services in the first part of the day by TransPennine Express, which rose to more than 40 by the evening, were linked by the TOC to crew training issues. Managing director Leo Goodwin…

ABELLIO’S contract to run the ScotRail franchise will end in 2022, Scotland’s Transport Secretary Michael Matheson has said. When Abellio took over the franchise in April 2015 the initial term was for seven years, with a further three years as an optional extension, based on performance criteria being met. Abellio has faced criticism in the past because of delays and cancellations as well as skipping some station calls to make up time when trains were late. However, in recent months, performance has substantially improved, but is still 4% below target. The franchise was also suffering financially, losing millions, and to run the full 10-year term would have been unsustainable. Transport Scotland said further subsidy would not secure delivery of commensurate benefits to passengers, communities and the economy. ‘Failed’ Mr Matheson…

Great Central (N) gets a ‘Pacer’ THE Great Central Railway (Nottingham) has reached agreement with Porterbrook for Class 144 No. 144003 to be preserved at its Ruddington base, once released from mainline duties. The DMU is expected to arrive in the first half of the year and begin operation after crew familiarisation. Driver dies at Tyseley depot A RAIL Accident Investigation Branch inquiry has begun into the death of a driver in his sixties at Tyseley maintenance depot, in Birmingham. The ‘serious incident’ took place on the evening of December 14. Conwy Valley branch reopens THE Conwy Valley branch reopened on December 15 after the completion of a three-week possession to replace sleepers and reinforce Ffestiniog Tunnel with 600 rock bolts, and replacement of the damaged Dolgarrog platform. The line…

Before the 1923 Grouping, the 0-6-0 wheel arrangement was almost certainly the most popular in the British Isles. Most freight trains had one (or two) 0-6-0s at the front and many of them were also employed on lesser passenger workings. They were the Midland Railway’s only six-coupled locos and, after the Grouping, the GWR, SR, LMSR and LNER continued to build them into the 1940s. Following Nationalisation in 1948, BR inherited no fewer than 4,259 0-6-0 tender locomotives, their origins dating from 1868 to the 1940s. Indeed, the last two ‘Collett Goods’ 0-6-0s, of 1930 design, were completed at Swindon in 1948 under BR Western Region auspices. Since the First World War, the only GWR locos built specifically for freight haulage were 2-8-0s for long-distance main line duty and powerful…

Specific incidents from June 28: At 10.02, an incident was evolved at Waterloo when a dog was spotted under the buffers on platform 19 and then went walkabout. At 14.07, LNW South called the NOC to say a lorry was on fire on the M6. Why was this important enough to be reported? Several of the Rugby ROC staff were reported stuck in the resultant traffic jam, and would be late on duty. At 17.40, a signaller booked for night shift at Abbey Foregate Junction signalbox called to advise he had lost his car keys and could only get to work once his wife was back home to give him a lift. He was offered an alternative plan of action. Book a taxi and keep the signalbox open!…

THE biggest railway museum in the USA – the Illinois Railway Museum (IRM) – is located around 50 miles north-west of Chicago, and held its first UK-style diesel gala in August 2019. The museum has the largest and most comprehensive collection of preserved diesel locomotives in North America, numbering 54 diesel locos as well as 27 steam, 12 electric locos and nearly 100 multiple electric, trolley and subway vehicles, most in working order. It had previously run Diesel Day events, but for 2019 tried a new format imported from the UK. The IRM dates back to 1953, and has moved location over the years, not least because its collection has grown from a few electric inter-urban cars from lines closed in the 1950s and 60s to more than 400 pieces…

The 7.5-mile, 18in-gauge system that carried materials around Horwich Works was always an interesting curiosity, and was based on a similar system at the LNWR works at Crewe. Following the purchase of two 0-4-0Ts in 1887, the fleet was increased to eight over the next 14 years, the last five being built at Horwich itself. Rubber-tyred transport soon became more convenient, and the complete network was shut down in 1961. The final engine, Beyer, Peacock Wren, is now exhibited at York.…

The Settle-Carlisle Railway By Paul Salveson THE Settle-Carlisle Line is one of the world’s classic scenic railway lines. It was constructed through some of the wildest and most challenging terrain in England by the Midland Railway, and eventually opened in 1875/76. Having survived the Beeching-era cuts of the 1960s the historic line faced closure by BR in the 1980s – however it was reprieved after a major campaign to save it, and has flourished ever since. This excellent and highly informative book by Paul Salveson charts the history of the route, covering the construction and operation of the line from 1875-1989 with a sure hand. Excellent chapters cover the line under threat of closure after 1963, the renaissance that followed, and the lifting of the closure threat on April 11,…

Early diesel feature brought back happy and vivid memories KEITH Farr’s survey of early diesels in the November issue brought back some happy memories of boyhood trainspotting in the late-1950s at Rugby Midland and Coventry, where I lived. We sometimes saw Nos. 10000 and 10001 heading the northbound ‘Royal Scot’ at Rugby, though it was considered a disappointment compared to the normal Stanier Pacific as those pioneers became iconic of that era. I remember No. 10203 operating the London to Birmingham expresses, and have vivid memories of it flying through Canley on the approach to Coventry, much faster than the usual ‘Jubilee’ or ‘Black Five’. It is very interesting to see the performance figures for these early diesels, and clearly 10203 was a fast machine, as the successor Class 40s…

100 YEARS AGO JANUARY 1920 Steep inclines worked by adhesion From St David’s, Exeter, to Queen Street Station the gradient is 1-in-37. This is exceeded in severity by two miles at 1-in-36 on the Ilfracombe branch; while there are several instances of 1-in-37and  even 1-in-33 on various lines. Thus, the Oldham incline of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway is at 1-in-27 for about three-quarters of a mile; while the North Pembrokeshire branch of the Great Western Railway also includes this gradient. Furthermore, on the North British Railway the Commonhead incline is at 1-in-23 for 440 yards, 1-in-25 for 380 yards, 1-in-27 for 550 yards, and 1-in-31 for 650 yards; while the Causeway end incline includes 1-in-23 for 860 yards. On the goods line to Kirkcaldy Harbour on the same…

THE sound of a Gresley ‘A3’ Pacific will be heard at the Mid-Hants Railway (MHR) for the first time during February when the National Railway Museum’s Flying Scotsman makes its debut on the Alresford to Alton line. The MHR is no stranger to LNER Pacifics or to National Collection locomotives, yet No. 60103 has never before visited the line, in spite of its main line connection. It is due to arrive in early February and will work the line’s reopening train on the 14th (see separate story), sell-out public services on the 29th , as well as March 1, 7-8. Additionally, the railway is offering Flying Scotsman experiences at other times. “The entire Watercress Line team is delighted that our bid to host this national treasure has been successful, and we…

THREE of the main line’s most popular performers lost out on lucrative festive railtours in late-November and into December after mechanical issues resulted in them being side-lined for repair. John Cameron’s Gresley ‘A4’ No. 60009 Union of South Africa was plagued by an overheating tender axlebox, which curtailed a light engine move from the East Lancashire Railway to Southall during the evening of November 21. The ‘Streak’ had to be stopped at Rugby where, once cool, the offending axlebox was rectified. The journey to Southall resumed the following afternoon, only for the same problem to reoccur. ‘No. 9’ was subsequently pulled from its booked duty on the Railway Touring Company’s November 23 trip to Ludlow and Shrewsbury, and instead dispatched to Wolverton, where the tender was separated and sent to…

Prairie heading to East Anglia THE South Devon Railway’s GWR ‘4575’ 2-6-2T No. 5526 will be the star guest at the East Anglian Railway Museum’s Spring Steam Gala on March 14-15. It will be the Small Prairie’s first visit to Chappel & Wakes Colne, with No. 5526 expected to stay to take part in some of the museum’s driver experience sessions. ‘Grange’ boiler passes steam test THE 6880 Betton Grange Society received an early Christmas present on December 6 when the boiler of new-build ‘Grange’ 4-6-0 No. 6880 Betton Grange passed its out-of-frames steam test at Tyseley Locomotive Works. The boiler came from ‘Modified Hall’ No. 7927 Willington Hall, and can now be returned to the frames as the project speeds towards an early-2020 completion. Go-ahead for SECR ‘E’ 4-4-0…

INDICATIONS suggest 2019 was another hugely successful year for the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway, thanks in part to a sell-out ‘Santa Special’ season at the end of last year. The railway operated 11 days of festive steam-hauled services between November 30 and December 24, with four trains a day running from Cheltenham Racecourse station to Winchcombe and back. Additionally, a DMU ‘Santa’service operated from Toddington on three consecutive weekends from December 7. All trains were complete sell outs, with the exception of the first day – November 30. In all about 11,500 ‘Santa’ tickets were sold, accruing valuable revenue for the railway. At the time of writing in mid-December the railway looked set to end the year with somewhere around 126,000 tickets sold. This represents an impressive 25% increase over 2017’s…

THE Lincolnshire Wolds Railway is hopeful its unique Peckett ‘E’ class 0-4-0ST Lion (1351/1914) will not have to wait too much longer before it too returns to steam. Lion was the LWR’s principal locomotive after arriving from the Foxfield Railway in 1998, but has not run since being withdrawn for overhaul in the mid-2000s. After a slow start, work on the overhaul is progressing well at Ludborough, where the frames are the current focus of the volunteer efforts. The brake rigging has been fully overhauled and refitted, while the much-worn axleboxes have been refurbished and running boards fitted. The tank and cab are next on the list, while the boiler, which needs a considerable amount of work, has been sent away for a contract overhaul. Today, Lion is the last…

IRELAND’S minister for transport, tourism and sport, Shane Ross TD, has confirmed a review into the feasibility of reinstating the full Dublin to Navan line will take place this year. The announcement came during a press conference following a cabinet meeting at the Office of Public Works offices in Trim on December 6. Responding to a question from the Meath Chronicle, Minister Ross said that review of the much sought after rail corridor “has been brought forward and will take place in 2020”. No other details were forthcoming, but Mr Ross confirmed the review would begin later this year and should be completed by mid-2021 as part of the National Transport Strategy. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who was also present, lent his support to the project, saying he had a “parochial…

THE Leighton Buzzard Railway (LBR) celebrated 100 years of unbroken operation on November 17, the nearest Sunday to the anniversary of the November 20, 1919, opening of the Bedfordshire line. Guests included Lord Faulkner of Worcester, President of the Heritage Railway Association, and representatives from APPEVA, which operates the Froissy-Cappy-Dompierre line, twinned with LBR. The French visitors presented an original First World War light railway steel sleeper, mounted on a display board, to LBR to mark the occasion. A train of skip wagons behind Motor Rail 4wPM Festoon ran into Page’s Park station. This recalled the days when the railway transported sand from the quarries it was built to serve into holding sidings on the site of what is now the station. LBR members and guests then boarded a special…

BEYER, Peacock 0-4-0+0-4-0 ‘Garratt’ K1 was moved from Welsh Highland Railway’s (WHR) Dinas workshops to Statfold Barn Railway in early December. K1 was withdrawn for overhaul following expiry of its boiler certificate on November 5, 2014. It was partially dismantled for the boiler to be re-tubed and an intermediate overhaul of its power bogies, but it became sidelined amid the heavy workload at Dinas, which includes the objective of having four NG/G16 Garratts available for WHR service. The 1909-built K1 returned to steam in 2006 utilising a boiler newly constructed by Israel Newton, the original boiler being beyond economic repair. It was expected to be ideal for WHR traffic, but as the WHR was extended beyond Rhyd Ddu it became apparent K1 was underpowered and lacked bunker capacity to work…

THE Welsh Highland Heritage Railway (WHHR) has contracted Festiniog Railway Company (FR) to build a replica Pickering brake composite coach. Volunteer resources are committed to other projects, but a sponsor has enabled WHHR to fulfil its long-held ambition of constructing such a vehicle by employing an outside contractor, with the winning bidder located at Boston Lodge on the other side of Porthmadog. One of the original Welsh Highland Railway’s two brake composite coaches built for North Wales Narrow Gauge Railway in 1907 by R Y Pickering of Wishaw, Lanarkshire appears in almost every photograph of an original Welsh Highland train, but they were lost following scrapping of the original line in 1942. The interior of the new coach will incorporate a wheelchair-accessible compartment. The vehicle will be full height (the…

THE 10¼in-gauge Stapleford Miniature Railway (SMR) hosted a night-shoot by the East Midlands Railway Photographic Society (EMRPS) at its Stapleford Park base, near Melton Mowbray, on November 16. This event was a first for the EMRPS, which is well-known for classic traction photo charters and night shoots. The railway is operated by the Friends of the Stapleford Miniature Railway and is only open to the public twice each year; the second weekend of June and the three-day August bank holiday. Invariably, most of the resident locos are confined to the shed during these events, with trains worked by more commonly seen locos visiting from public railways. It was therefore a rare opportunity to see four home fleet locos running. Call: 01507 529589 email: classic.traction@btopenworld.com Your reports and pictures are most…

Gauge: 7¼in Location: Millerbeck House, Staveley-in-Cartmel, Newby Bridge, Cumbria LA12 8NH OS ref: SD378861 Owner/operator: Arnold and Judith Gorse Email: info@millerbeck.org.uk Website: www.millerbeck.org.uk Tel: 015395 30113 Running days: Public open days are held throughout the year, usually monthly from March to November, on Sundays and bank holidays (11.00 to 17.00). Also, pre-booked events such as ‘Santa Specials’ and an ‘in-the-dark’ evening in February. Check website for dates. The Millerbeck Light Railway, near Lake Windermere, is a private railway regarded as one of the finest 7¼in-gauge railways in the country. The narrow gauge-type railway was started in 1985 by Arthur Bailey and friends. It was acquired by the present owners in 2001, and with help from a team of volunteers, has been extended and enhanced. The line twists and turns for…

PASSENGERS on the Wherry Lines network in Norfolk will face a series of line closures over a 23-day period in February, as Network Rail completes its resignalling programme. Once the work is complete, the line between Reedham and Great Yarmouth via Berney Arms will finally reopen to passengers. It has been closed since October 2018. During the phased works, new signals will be switched on to replace traditional semaphore signals and six level crossings at Brundall, Cantley, Lingwood Chapel Road, Lingwood Station Road, Oulton Broad North, and Strumpshaw will be upgraded to full barriers with remotely controlled CCTV to improve safety. From February 1, the work will be completed in three phases, closing the Norwich to Great Yarmouth route on February 1-2, Norwich to Great Yarmouth/Lowestoft and Beccles to Lowestoft…

East Midlands Gateway is ready to roll in 2020 MARITIME Transport’s new East Midlands Gateway Strategic Rail Freight Interchange at Castle Donington is expected to open for traffic in early 2020. The 17-acre facility is now connected to the national rail network, and will be capable of handling up to 16 775m trains per day when it is fully commissioned. Cumbrian coal mine approved WOODHOUSE Colliery, the controversial new deep coal mine near Workington, in Cumbria, has been given authorisation to proceed by the Government and local authorities. The colliery will produce high-quality coking coal for the steel industry, both in the UK and for export, much of which is expected to be transported by rail when the facility opens in 2022. New terminal facility for Highland Spring SCOTTISH mineral…

CEMEX’S Attercliffe terminal in Sheffield has received 2.5 million tonnes of aggregates from Dove Holes Quarry in Derbyshire in the decade since it opened. The milestone was reached in late-2019, with more than 1.3m tonnes going to external customers in South Yorkshire, one million tonnes for Cemex concrete plants in Sheffield, and more than 200,000 tonnes for Cemex’s asphalt business. The railhead is served by regular DB Cargo trains of 24 bogie box wagons loaded to 1,850 tonnes.…

Prototype HST power car moved to Shildon NATIONAL Collection HST power car No. 41001, reclaimed from the 125 Group (RM Nov, p7), was delivered to Locomotion, Shildon on November 25. This followed bodywork attention, returning it to display condition. Another 03 for Mangapps collection CLASS 03 No. 03158 joined the Mangapps Railway collection on November 29, coming from the private Titley Junction Railway, Herefordshire. Sonic Rail Services’ No. 03197 is staying at Mangapps over the winter. 10000 group has new accommodation THE Ivatt Diesel Re-creation Society’s president, Stan Fletcher, officially opened the charity’s new Centenary Workshop at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway’s Wirksworth headquarters on December 6. The group is also enhancing its volunteer facilities by using Mk3A sleeping car with pantry No. 10597, donated by Porterbrook. NER autocar revisits Great…